Comets Thwarted by Bruins in Providence

Providence, R.I. - The Utica Comets were provided a 23-save performance from Ivan Kulbakov and a goal from Vincent Arseneau, but they couldn't overcome the timely attack of the Providence Bruins during a 3-1 loss on Sunday at Dunkin Donuts Center.

Picking up where they left off a night before, the Comets needed just 4:19 of action to earn the first goal of the night. Stefan LeBlanc controlled the puck at the point before finding Wacey Hamilton, who fed Vincent Arseneau for a quick-strike wrister over the leg of Zane McIntyre. Arseneau's eighth of the season was the lone goal in the opening period, as the Comets outshot the Bruins, 10-8.

A back-and-forth second period was a defensive struggle, until the Bruins used a four-minute power play to draw even. Finding a soft spot, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson received a pass and lifted it over the shoulder of Kulbakov for his sixth of the season. The late-period goal sent the teams into the second intermission in a 1-1 stalemate.

Providence continued to pressure early in the third period and their efforts were rewarded with Paul Carey's seeing-eye wrist shot at 7:13. Carey's goal flew past traffic in front of Kulbakov's net and sailed into the top corner for his 26th of the year.

The Bruins put the game away with an empty netter from Anton Blidh at the 18:23 mark, closing the door on any comeback effort from Utica.

The Comets are back at it Friday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puck drop at the Adirondack Bank Center is at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to use the ticket exchange site, StubHub!. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL TV.